Spring is officially here, and we all know what that means: warmer weather and shorter hems. This season, we’re ready to strut our stuff in the latest and greatest trends. Nostalgia is in the air with the revival of ’80s prints, ’90s nonchalance, and Y2K favorites.

We asked a few of our go-to Baltimore boutiques what must-haves will be stored in their closets this spring, and how we might put our own spin on them.

PALAZZO JEANS
A Style Studio

“Our favorite trend this spring is palazzo jeans,” says Lauren Rutkovitz, owner of A Style Studio in Pikesville. “I love the versatility and comfort of these jeans: Dress them up or down, day or night with a heel or a sneaker. The point of these jeans is to show off your waist! Wear them with a tucked-in blouse or a cropped sweater.” 25 Hooks Ln. # 111, Pikesville, 410-484-1115

GEOMETRIC JEWELS
House of Muse

“One of my favorite trends happening in spring 2022 is the use of unique geometric shapes in jewelry,” says Alex Dekowski, owner of House of Muse. “You’ll begin to see a lot of chunky rings and earrings in fun atypical designs. We saw a huge trend of mixing metals that is still going strong into spring, with pops of color being added into the mix.” Online.

CORSET TOPS
Brightside Boutique

Paige Hamburg, marketing manager at Brightside Boutique, says that “Y2K looks are back!” Their style advice? “Look out for micro-mini skirts, baggy and low-rise denim styles, and corsets. We’re styling corset tops with low-rise denim and heels for nights out grabbing cocktails.” Multiple locations including 915 W 36th St., 410-814-0595

SATURATED HUES
Keepers Vintage

“I get excited about trends that are revisited and reimagined. I encourage my customers to repurpose vintage pieces for creative, on-trend wardrobes,” says Erica Bentley, owner of Keepers Vintage. “My favorites I’ll be adding to both my closet and the shop are saturated hues from the ’70s and ’80s.” Two locations including 229 W Read St., 443-421-3757

OPEN

South Moon Under Reopening in Towson: If you were worried that South Moon Under was going to be closed before you start your spring shopping spree, here is some relief: The Shops at Kenilworth in Towson leaked a preview of their South Moon location completely renovated and restocked with all of your spring wardrobe needs. We spotted racks of bikinis and beachy crochet sweaters, as well as dressing rooms designed for the perfect try-on selfie. They’ll be back and open for business before the first weekend of March.

EVENTS

How to Build a Sustainable Wardrobe at Impact Hub: Practicing a sustainable lifestyle is tricky, especially when we talk about fashion. Trends cycle in and out every month, making it oh-so easy to shop and drop clothes. But if you’re kicking off your spring cleaning with the idea of rebuilding a more environmentally friendly closet, this event might just be the talk to tune into. Head over to Impact Hub on March 3 to learn how fashion affects the environment and how you can do your part in making conscious shopping decisions.

Women of Spectrum at the Maryland Historical Society: Back in October, we let you know about the Maryland Historical Society’s epic fashion collection displayed through the “Spectrum of Fashion” exhibit. In honor of Women’s History Month, on March 7—the 100th anniversary of the signing of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote—MDHS will be offering hour-long tours of the exhibition highlighting the stories of the women behind the clothes. Learn about the Duchess of Windsor’s iconic 1970s two-piece, the stunning designs of one of America’s earliest modern designers Claire McCardell, and other great female Marylanders.

B.Willow & Greedy Reads Book Club: Plants and books—what more do you need? Two of Baltimore City’s most popular small businesses, B.Willow and Greedy Reads, have teamed up to give us something that we didn’t know we needed: A book club. “Our mission is to not only be a resource for plants and plant care, but also to promote societal awareness of the mental and physical health benefits one can acquire through engaging with nature,” B.Willow posted in an announcement of the event on March 20. This month, it’s all about the healing nature brings as readers delve into The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. There will be wine, a discount on plant purchases, a 10-percent discount for buying your copy of The Nature Fix at Greedy Reads, and a visit from Williams herself via Skype. All $5 ticket proceeds will benefit to Blue Water Baltimore.

Colorstrology, Birth Charts, and Jewelry Making at Keeper’s Vintage: Vintage shopping takes a turn on March 21 as Keepers Vintage brings jewelry designer Rachel King into her Hampden shop to offer a free discussion on colorpsychology, birthstones, and crystal cleansing. The talk will be followed by a jewelry-making workshop (for the cost of $40), in which King will teach attendees how to create necklaces or bracelets. It’s a pop-up that aims to have you leave feeling good about your energy with a stunning handcrafted necklace or bracelet to boot.

Halloween is our annual opportunity to step outside of our normal selves and embody someone (or something) else for a night of revelry. Whether you’re aiming for spooky, silly, or sexy, we’re of the mindset that the best place to source your best festive look isn’t Amazon or Party City. If you’re willing to dig a little deeper, vintage shops are a treasure trove of inspiration and unique pieces that will bring any look to life. We asked local vintage mavens to put together costumes pulled from their racks and give us hot tips on shopping used for a memorable look.

“A costume doesn’t have to be blatantly obvious—explaining the gist of your idea to people can be half the fun,” says Sara Autrey of new Charles Village vintage mecca Get Shredded Vintage. Autrey’s “Eccentric Yacht Couple” couples’ costume, is the perfect example of that sentiment. On their own, each of the pieces can be worn in normal life for an on-trend nautical look or worn all together, with a sprinkle of wanderlust attitude, the costume comes to life.

Looking to party hard this All Hallows Eve? The Halloween queens at Milk and Ice Vintage have you covered. “Don’t hesitate to ask the owners at a vintage store if they have any ‘wounded birds,’ meaning cool vintage that’s not for sale because it’s flawed in some way,” says Kate Thomas, who co-owns the store with Angie Gavin. “You can often get super rare and more interesting one-of-a-kind pieces at a discount, and you don’t have to worry about damaging them if you’re out partying!”

Once you’ve got the basics of your holiday ‘fit picked out, the last piece of the puzzle to a successful costume is all in the attitude. “The key to pulling off a DIY costume is going all out,” says Morissa Rothman-Pierce of Bottle of Bread. “Go the extra mile and paint your face. Roll around in a pile of dirt if you’re being Pigpen. Just go wild, because Halloween is an excuse to be your wildest self.”

We asked our favorite vintage owners from Get Shredded, Keepers Vintage, Bottle of Bread, and Milk and Ice to style (and model!) some of the best potential Halloween looks in their stores.

Christie Griffiths starts her day by checking her phone. And then she checks it again. While her behavior might not sound that different from any other millennial, she is actually working—obsessively monitoring the social media accounts associated with her store, Brightside Boutique. 

“I’m on my phone constantly; it just never ends,” says Griffiths, who opened her store in 2011. “I’m always apologizing to everyone I know, but if you want to have a successful business you have to do it.” 

In the world of retail, gone are the days of just sitting behind a cash register and throwing together a window display. Owning and operating a store now demands that you are in constant contact with your customers, which means meeting them exactly where they are physically and digitally. Griffiths—who opened her third Brightside in Hampden in March—has mastered the delicate balance of reaching a wide swath of customers while also keeping her service very personalized. 

“It’s important to know your customer,” Griffiths says. “I know it sounds weird but I know how my shopper talks, I know how she thinks, I know where she is going this weekend, and so does my staff.” 

Griffiths’ strategy? She treats Brightside more like a pop-up shop than a brick-and-mortar store. On top of her permanent locations in Federal Hill, Fells Point, and Hampden, she has Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat accounts, a website, a strong presence at local events such as festivals and outdoor markets, and ongoing collaborations with local style bloggers. Recently, she launched her own private label brand. Having three retail stores in the Baltimore area is basically unheard of, but Brightside’s formula is clearly working. 

“I think the change in retail is affecting everyone,” explains Griffiths. “You really have to be connected.” Her suggestions for budding boutique owners? “Look at stores and brands that you idolize. Look at their social media and web presences. Take notes to get inspired and do it your own way.” 

The needs of the modern consumer have become more complicated over time. People want to know more about the products they are buying, they want to know who made it and how, but most of all they want to feel good about their purchases. Consumers today are exposed to so much noise that it takes a multitude of methods to make a shopping experience seem meaningful. This idea—of keeping inventory fresh, the experience interactive, and the marketing message targeted—was pioneered by pop-up shops and is now being applied to brick-and-mortar stores. Though pop-up shops are certainly not a new concept, the model can serve as a good trial run for future stores. 

Consumers today are exposed to so much noise that it takes a multitude of methods to make a shopping experience seem meaningful.

“With a pop-up shop, you have low investment,” says Holly Lentz-Schiller, assistant professor in the fashion merchandising department at Stevenson University. “You can be very nimble and very quick to move and make changes to your business. There is not the overhead and the commitments so you are able to go where your consumers physically are.”

Having a temporary place to sell your goods—whether it is a one-time, monthly, or bi-monthly event—feels safer to those just starting their businesses, giving them a chance to test out ideas while beginning to understand the target market. 

Vanessa Milio started Taken, a pop-up shop exclusively featuring Maryland-based items, in 2015 because she loved the concept and wanted to showcase items people may have never found on their own. “I just really felt strongly about the idea of bringing the product to the people,” says Milio. “I love the idea of the mobility—even if I am representing the same 35 artists, we are in 14 different locations.” Milio has set up her shop everywhere from a brewery in Laurel, to a coffeehouse in Hamilton, to the nonprofit Second Chance. “It is always a different atmosphere and presentation,” she explains. 

Amy Fresty and Ellen Lunay, the founders of Here. a pop-up shop, took a Social Media 101 class when they first started out in 2013. “E-commerce and social media play a large part in our business,” says Lunay. “I have seen a number of shops, both small and large, close in part because they weren’t consistent on social media.” Fresty and Lunay take a very personal approach to Here.’s social media accounts, posting so many pictures and videos from their own lives that they’re often recognized as the “Here. girls” around town. The pair, who host their pop-up in Annapolis monthly, also sell a select amount of their own private label items that they make in conjunction with vendors and artists. They have also hosted seasonal online pop-up shops, which are time sensitive sales to create demand on their website. 

Laura Layton, owner of mobile boutique Tin Lizzy, agrees that a store’s social media presence must work in conjunction with its “real world” existence. “I think it is super important to be online and have that presence,” says Layton. “The business model is so fleeting—at one place one day and somewhere totally different the next. I see so many sales in my online shop the day after a big event. And I know exactly who the customer is! I can remember that woman looking at a necklace she left without and then see her place the order the next day.” 

Of course, pop-up shops are inherently flexible, able to react in real time to their customers’ tastes and needs. But lately, brick-and-mortar retailers seem to be catching on, applying pop-up techniques to their marketing. “The real trend in retail is omni-channel retailing,” explains Lentz-Schiller. “Bringing all of the pieces of retailing together—the e-commerce, the brick and mortar, catalogs, social media—to put out a consistent message.” 

“I don’t see brick and mortar ever being completely gone, but they will need to reimagine what they are used to and be willing to change and evolve in order to survive.”

Because the daily media consumption of the average consumer has increased, retailers need to be social media experts, finding potential customers on places such as Instagram, Pinterest, and crafty e-commerce site Etsy. The ultimate goal is to create the kinds of relationships in which clients feel so comfortable online that they want to visit the store in person. “I don’t see brick and mortar ever being completely gone,” says Lentz-Schiller. “But they will need to reimagine what they are used to and be willing to change and evolve in order to survive.” 

Brightside has found inspiration in national companies—Free People, for example—that are also doing things to keep their brand relevant to their consumers. Not only does Free People have an official Instagram account filled with dreamy, ethereal photos that totally encapsulate the brand’s overall feel, they have local Instagram accounts in different parts of the country. They use these accounts to speak to their consumers directly in their areas, with pictures of weather appropriate merchandise and posts about news and events in their town. 

“Something I’ve really tried to do with Brightside is to be very [Baltimore] branded,” Griffiths says. “If you visit the page of a Free People store in Texas it’s full of desert and cacti, but if you look at California it’s all beaches and palm trees. They are so intentional with whom they are targeting.” 

Another way retailers are promoting their brands is through collaboration. For instance, Brightside teams up with local bloggers and people who have prolific social media followings, helping to expand the brand’s reach and have it associated with these trusted tastemakers. Other forms of collaboration are found through markets and craft fairs and even in other stores throughout the city. 

And for those pop-up retailers who want the stability of a permanent store but can’t afford it? Collaboration is once again key. Erica Bentley of Keepers Vintage in Mt. Vernon moved her store into a space shared with maker Letta Moore of Knits, Soy, & Metal last fall. “It’s very cliche, but there is strength in numbers,” Bentley says. “The idea of sharing a similar work ethic, expanding your customer base, and having someone to bounce ideas off of is helpful.” 

The two businesses officially converged into a brick and mortar shop on Read Street last November after many years of doing pop-ups. “The limited amount of time you are given for pop-up shops can be a disadvantage,” explains Moore. “Once that opportunity is gone, there isn’t a physical place for customers to get your products unless you have an online presence. Being in a brick and mortar, anyone can walk by at any time and come in to make a purchase.” 

Both brands have tailored their business models to include in-store events and workshops to make shopping with them more of an experience. Says Bentley, “We both did a lot of popping up in the past, but the difference for me is really comparable to going on vacation. The fun, excitement, and headache of traveling versus actually getting home. This space is like being home.”

“My belief is that there is nothing more powerful than a community that works together and supports each other in attaining their goals,” says Bentley, who founded Keepers Vintage several years ago hosting yard sales at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market.

Similarly, Moore, who created Knits Soy & Metal as a side business in 2014, is now pursuing her passion full-time and is committed to sourcing materials for her soy candles, knitted scarves, and handmade jewelry that are as close to home and as environmentally friendly as possible.

Together, the two have curated the perfect space for shoppers just in time for the holiday season. Join Bentley and Moore at the store on Thursday, November 10, for their grand opening party for refreshments, light fare, music, and exclusive giveaways.

“In 2016, I made it a goal to have Knits Soys & Metal in 12 locations,” Moore said on Facebook. “How was I know to know that the 12th location would be my own? I’m so incredibly thankful to be given this opportunity by none other than Keepers Vintage.”